[adverbly]

The obvious question then becomes why 4 military-grade surveillance Tech Tahoes are needed.

Was three not enough for the current demand for military grade surveillance by the police?

Why is there so much demand for military grade surveillance? Is there a better way to address that core need?

A million bucks buys a lot of essential services.

[pseudohadamard]

> Why is there so much demand for military grade surveillance?

Because there's just not enough room in the budget for things like community engagement, rehabilitation programs, and similar things, so we have to spend millions on military surveillance gear to compensate for the absence of community engagement, rehabilitation programs, and similar things. Isn't it obvious?

[troupo]

John Oliver did a report on militarization of police 11 years ago. It's only become worse since: https://youtu.be/KUdHIatS36A?is=C86HI8463VZnqjXU

[fingerlocks]

And Radley Balko blogged about it every day 20 years ago before publishing a book in 2013 literally subtitled as The Militarization of America’s Police

[janderson215]

The cartels have also militarized. Bit of a vicious cycle we’re in.

[FireBeyond]

Yes, the cartels have always been at war with the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division...

[janderson215]

You say it sarcastically, but any law enforcement agency is an enemy of the cartels goals and therefore at risk in the event of intervention.

[FireBeyond]

When was the last confirmed cartel violence against any US LEA on US soil?

Cartel leadership have openly stated that any such thing would be the height of counterproductive stupidity on their part due to the overwhelming response that it would elicit.

The last confirmed incident was in the 90s. There was an incident in Texas a couple of days after Trump was inaugurated but this seems a little lacking in concrete details or threat: across the river, no video evidence, no injuries, no bullets recovered, no suspects, no identification, just a broad "description" of the shooters as "likely cartel members".

[janderson215]

Do you think that cartel leadership would view any such thing as being counterproductive if the law enforcement agencies were not militarized?

[notnaut]

lol yes. IF something like that were to happen, the US military is and always has been ready and willing to respond to attacks and that has been the case LONG before our CIVILIAN police started arming up to the teeth, like they’re ready for war.

The cartels have long been wary of US armed response to their actions, and the militarization of the police in the US, while certainly a further deterrent, is much closer to a deterrent against CIVILIAN misconduct and works insanely well as a chilling effect against protestors and unruly gatherings. Yay America!!!!

[Vasbarlog]

Yes? Because it would not be the local law enforcement agency that would respond to any provocations, but rather the federal government/military.

[rolandog]

Well, the US could cut their weapons supply the moment they wanted, but I wonder why that's never been an option.